Prague

Prague is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in world and is one of the most visited cities in Europe, and I soon saw why.

I went to Prague in February, expecting freezing temperatures and traffic at a standstill due to icy roads. Upon arrival I was pleasantly surprised to find that the weather was much milder than expected, and that all the roads and footpaths had been cleared of ice meaning that life could go on as normal, and we could walk around without worrying about slipping on icy pavements.

Our hotel, the 4* Clement, was just a 20 min drive from the airport, and had a brilliant location in the city centre. The hotel is quite modern with a bar and restaurant, and the rooms are nicely proportioned and have the all important kettle! (But bring your own teabags). It was the perfect base for our few days as the major sights of Prague were all within walking distance, and the tram system which serves all of Prague had stops close to the hotel.

The guided tour of Prague is a must, it’s the perfect way to find your feet in this city of contrasts, where buildings dating back to the 17th century are sandwiched in with modern architectural masterpieces. The tour will show you some of Prague’s finest attractions, like Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square, the Charles bridge and the astronomical clock.

While we were in Prague, we decide to take a guided tour to the town of Terezin. Terezin is a small walled town north of Prague and has had a military prison there for hundreds of years. During WWII the Nazi’s used Terezin as a prison for political prisoners’s, but the camps leader decided to run the prison along the same style as the Concentration camps, leading to the infamous inscription of “Arbeit macht frei” above the entrance to the work yard, and unbelievable living conditions for the prisoners, that soon outnumbered the capacity the prison was intended for. Outside the “small fortress” as the prison is known, is a graveyard, with an inscription or grave marker for every person known to have died there under Nazi rule. Guided tours to Terezin, including a visit to the small fortress and the town cost €45pp including transfers.

Eating out in Prague is very easy to do, with a wide variety of restaurants on offer. On the main streets you can expect to be stopped and invited to view the menus on offer, much the same as when on holiday in Spain, but don’t be put off by some of the small restaurants as these are often cheaper and more authentic as they aren’t aimed directly at tourists.

I would definitely recommend a purchasing a travel card, which cost about €4 for 24 hours. The card works on all public transport, trams, buses and trains and also on the Funicular railway that leads up to the observatory and offers amazing views over Prague.

As strange as it sounds, I think my favourite sight was the graveyard in Vysehrad, the old Prague Castle. The Cemetery is the resting place of many of the Czech republics most famous artists, writers and politicians, and some of the head stones and memorials are truly breathtaking. There was one in particular that caught my attention, we rounded a corner, and there coming up from one of the graves is a statue of a women, 6 feet tall and eerily pale. Not a place to visit in the dark!

All in all, I had a great time in Prague, and would definitely consider going back because even though we saw so much in our 3 days, there is still a lot more to see.